DOCSLIB.ORG

For Peer Review 2.3.2

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
For Peer Review 2.3.2 Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh The evolution of the tetrapod humerus: morphometrics, disparity, and evolutionary rates Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Journal: Edinburgh Manuscript ID TRE-2018-0013.R1 Manuscript Type: Early Vertebrate Evolution Date Submitted by the Author: 25-Jul-2018 Complete List of Authors: Ruta, Marcello; University of Lincoln, School of Life Sciences Krieger, Jonathan; Home address, 11A Wynford Road ForAngielczyk, Peer Kenneth; Review Field Museum of Natural History, Earth Sciences, Integrative Research Centre Wills, Matthew; University of Bath, The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry amniotes, eigenshape analysis, evolutionary rate shifts, humeral Keywords: morphology, lepospondyls, lissamphibians, tetrapodomorphs Cambridge University Press Page 1 of 53 Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1 The evolution of the tetrapod humerus: morphometrics, disparity, and evolutionary rates Marcello Ruta1,*, Jonathan Krieger2, Kenneth D. Angielczyk3 and Matthew A. Wills4 1 School of Life Sciences,For University Peer of Lincoln, Review Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK 2 11A Wynford Road, Poole BH14 8PG, UK 3 Earth Sciences, Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois 60605-2496, USA 4 The Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, The University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK * Corresponding author Cambridge University Press Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Page 2 of 53 2 ABSTRACT: The present study explores the macroevolutionary dynamics of shape changes in the humeri of all major grades and clades of early tetrapods and their fish-like forerunners. Coordinate Point Eigenshape analysis applied to humeral outlines in extensor view reveals that fish humeri are more disparate than those of most early tetrapod groups and significantly separate from the latter. Our findings indicate sustained changes in humeral shape in the deepest portions of the tetrapod stemgroup and certain portions of the crown. In the first half of sampled tetrapod history, subclades show larger than expected humeral disparity, suggesting rapid diffusionFor into morphospace.Peer ReviewLater in tetrapod evolution, subclades occupy smaller and non-overlapping morphospace regions. This pattern may reflect in part increasing specializations in later tetrapod lineages. Bayesian shifts in rates of evolutionary change are distributed discontinuously across the phylogeny, and most of them occur within rather than between major groups. Most shifts with the highest Bayesian posterior probabilities are observed in lepospondyls. Similarly, maximum likelihood analyses of shifts support marked rate accelerations in lepospondyls and in various subclades within that group. In other tetrapod groups, rates either tend to slow down or experience only small increases. Somewhat surprisingly, no shifts are concurrent with structural, functional, or ecological innovations in tetrapod evolution, including the origin of digits, the water-land transition, and increasing terrestrialization. Although counter-intuitive, these results are consistent with a model of continual phenotypic innovation that, although decoupled from key evolutionary changes, is possibly triggered by niche segregation in divergent clades and grades of early tetrapods. KEY WORDS: amniotes, eigenshape analysis, evolutionary rate shifts, humeral morphology, lepospondyls, lissamphibians, tetrapodomorphs RUNNING TITLE: Tetrapod humerus evolution Cambridge University Press Page 3 of 53 Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 3 The vertebrate body plan underwent profound modifications over 370 million years ago, resulting in a new type of anatomical organization – the tetrapods or limbed vertebrates (Coates et al. 2008; Clack 2009, 2012; Clack et al. 2016). The origin of tetrapods and their subsequent colonization of the land are benchmarks for studies of adaptive radiations as they unlocked ecological opportunities and had lasting effects on the structure and composition of terrestrial communities (Rolfe et al. 1994; Vecoli et al. 2010; McGhee 2013). Fundamental aspects of vertebrate terrestrialization, including major changes in locomotory style, feeding strategies, and sensoryFor perception, Peer can be examined Review in increasing detail because of several remarkable fossil discoveries (Daeschler et al. 2006; Smithson et al. 2012; Smithson & Clack 2013; Anderson et al. 2015), new contributions from palaeohistology and biomechanics (Witzmann et al. 2010; Janis et al. 2012; Pierce et al. 2012, 2013; Hohn-Schulte et al. 2013; Sanchez et al. 2014; Danto et al. 2016), considerable advances in three-dimensional image analysis (Clack et al. 2016; Porro et al. 2015a, b), and the widespread use of phylogenetic comparative methods (Kimmel et al. 2009; Anderson et al. 2013; Neenan et al. 2014). In particular, the appendicular skeleton is an ideal model system for quantifying structural changes underpinning functional and ecological innovations at the water-land transition (Coates et al. 2002, 2008; Coates & Ruta 2007; Clack 2009, 2012; Clack et al. 2016). Early in tetrapod evolution, paired appendages and girdles exhibited striking disparity of form (Shubin et al. 2006; Ahlberg et al. 2008; Smithson & Clack 2012; Anderson et al. 2015; Ahlberg 2011) and showed a mosaic combination of traits (Ahlberg et al. 2005; Callier et al. 2009). This implies that these structures had multiple functional adaptations (Pierce et al. 2012, 2013; Hohn-Schulte et al. 2013; Sanchez et al. 2014) and that they evolved rapidly to exploit available ecospace (Clack 2007; Coates et al. 2008; Clack 2009, 2012; Vecoli et al. 2010; McGhee 2013; Clack et al. 2016). Ruta (2011) examined the extent to which characters of the fins, limbs, and girdles yielded cladograms that were topologically congruent with Cambridge University Press Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Page 4 of 53 4 those built from other suites of osteological traits. Strikingly, appendicular characters implied deep relationships (especially amongst tetrapodomorph fishes) that are at odds with those inferred from more inclusive skeletal data sets. In more derived branches, by contrast, this conflict was much reduced. Subsequently, Ruta & Wills (2016) repurposed appendicular characters for analyses of morphological disparity and morphospace occupation at the fish- tetrapod transition. Their study demonstrated that tetrapodomorph fishes and early tetrapods had comparable levels of appendicular disparity, although fishes tended to be more dispersed within the morphospaceFor than tetrapods. Peer Despite Review these contributions, however, the tempo and mode of evolutionary transformation in the appendicular skeleton remain poorly understood. Here, we address this shortcoming by investigating the humeri of early tetrapods and their fish-like forebears. Humeri feature prominently in discussions about tetrapod origins, as they provide a rich source of cladistic characters (Ruta 2011; Ruta & Wills 2016), underwent substantial remodeling in various stages of tetrapod evolution (e.g., compare aquatic Devonian taxa to Permian and Carboniferous groups with increasing adaptations to terrestriality; Clack 2012; Anderson et al. 2015), and show greater interspecific differences than other appendicular bones (Shubin et al. 2004; Coates et al. 2008; Clack 2009, 2012; Ahlberg 2011; Ruta 2011; Bishop 2014; Sanchez et al. 2014; Anderson et al. 2015; Clack et al. 2016; Ruta & Wills 2016). For these reasons, they inform our understanding of changes in structural complexity (e.g., McShea 2010) during the emergence of an animal clade of great ecological and evolutionary importance (Ruta et al. 2006; Wagner et al. 2006; Sears et al. 2015). In this paper, we investigate two main hypotheses. (1) Humeral shape disparity (i.e., the variety of humeral morphologies) and evolutionary rates (i.e., the amount of shape change per unit time) were highest in the early stages of tetrapod evolution, particularly at the water-land transition and close to the origin of digit-bearing taxa. (2) The divergence between major Cambridge University Press Page 5 of 53 Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 5 groups of early tetrapods was marked by significant shifts in rates of phenotypic evolution (i.e., significant deviations from background rates). Our first hypothesis concerns the scale and timing of morphological change, and dovetails with current debates on the prevalence of disparity-first vs. taxic diversity-first models of clade diversification (Harmon et al. 2010; Venditti et al. 2011; Ruta et al. 2013; Puttick et al. 2014; Xue et al. 2015). Our second hypothesis addresses the question of whether specific branches of the early tetrapod tree are associated with significant rate increases or decreases (Ruta et al. 2006). We are especially interested in branchesFor subtending Peer major groups Review of early tetrapods and those bracketing the stem- to crown-group transitions (both in tetrapods as a whole and in the two main constituent clades, the amniotes and the lissamphibians). We do not seek to test putative causal relationships between shape changes and either ecological (e.g., habitat transition), anatomical (e.g., appearance of new traits,
Load more

Recommended publications
  • New Permian Fauna from Tropical Gondwana
    ARTICLE Received 18 Jun 2015 | Accepted 18 Sep 2015 | Published 5 Nov 2015 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms9676 OPEN New Permian fauna from tropical Gondwana Juan C. Cisneros1,2, Claudia Marsicano3, Kenneth D. Angielczyk4, Roger M. H. Smith5,6, Martha Richter7, Jo¨rg Fro¨bisch8,9, Christian F. Kammerer8 & Rudyard W. Sadleir4,10 Terrestrial vertebrates are first known to colonize high-latitude regions during the middle Permian (Guadalupian) about 270 million years ago, following the Pennsylvanian Gondwanan continental glaciation. However, despite over 150 years of study in these areas, the bio- geographic origins of these rich communities of land-dwelling vertebrates remain obscure. Here we report on a new early Permian continental tetrapod fauna from South America in tropical Western Gondwana that sheds new light on patterns of tetrapod distribution. Northeastern Brazil hosted an extensive lacustrine system inhabited by a unique community of temnospondyl amphibians and reptiles that considerably expand the known temporal and geographic ranges of key subgroups. Our findings demonstrate that tetrapod groups common in later Permian and Triassic temperate communities were already present in tropical Gondwana by the early Permian (Cisuralian). This new fauna constitutes a new biogeographic province with North American affinities and clearly demonstrates that tetrapod dispersal into Gondwana was already underway at the beginning of the Permian. 1 Centro de Cieˆncias da Natureza, Universidade Federal do Piauı´, 64049-550 Teresina, Brazil. 2 Programa de Po´s-Graduac¸a˜o em Geocieˆncias, Departamento de Geologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, 50740-533 Recife, Brazil. 3 Departamento de Cs. Geologicas, FCEN, Universidad de Buenos Aires, IDEAN- CONICET, C1428EHA Ciudad Auto´noma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
    [Show full text]
  • BOA2.1 Caecilian Biology and Natural History.Key
    The Biology of Amphibians @ Agnes Scott College Mark Mandica Executive Director The Amphibian Foundation [email protected] 678 379 TOAD (8623) 2.1: Introduction to Caecilians Microcaecilia dermatophaga Synapomorphies of Lissamphibia There are more than 20 synapomorphies (shared characters) uniting the group Lissamphibia Synapomorphies of Lissamphibia Integumen is Glandular Synapomorphies of Lissamphibia Glandular Skin, with 2 main types of glands. Mucous Glands Aid in cutaneous respiration, reproduction, thermoregulation and defense. Granular Glands Secrete toxic and/or noxious compounds and aid in defense Synapomorphies of Lissamphibia Pedicellate Teeth crown (dentine, with enamel covering) gum line suture (fibrous connective tissue, where tooth can break off) basal element (dentine) Synapomorphies of Lissamphibia Sacral Vertebrae Sacral Vertebrae Connects pelvic girdle to The spine. Amphibians have no more than one sacral vertebrae (caecilians have none) Synapomorphies of Lissamphibia Amphicoelus Vertebrae Synapomorphies of Lissamphibia Opercular apparatus Unique to amphibians and Operculum part of the sound conducting mechanism Synapomorphies of Lissamphibia Fat Bodies Surrounding Gonads Fat Bodies Insulate gonads Evolution of Amphibians † † † † Actinopterygian Coelacanth, Tetrapodomorpha †Amniota *Gerobatrachus (Ray-fin Fishes) Lungfish (stem-tetrapods) (Reptiles, Mammals)Lepospondyls † (’frogomander’) Eocaecilia GymnophionaKaraurus Caudata Triadobatrachus Anura (including Apoda Urodela Prosalirus †) Salientia Batrachia Lissamphibia
    [Show full text]
  • Reptile Family Tree
    Reptile Family Tree - Peters 2015 Distribution of Scales, Scutes, Hair and Feathers Fish scales 100 Ichthyostega Eldeceeon 1990.7.1 Pederpes 91 Eldeceeon holotype Gephyrostegus watsoni Eryops 67 Solenodonsaurus 87 Proterogyrinus 85 100 Chroniosaurus Eoherpeton 94 72 Chroniosaurus PIN3585/124 98 Seymouria Chroniosuchus Kotlassia 58 94 Westlothiana Casineria Utegenia 84 Brouffia 95 78 Amphibamus 71 93 77 Coelostegus Cacops Paleothyris Adelospondylus 91 78 82 99 Hylonomus 100 Brachydectes Protorothyris MCZ1532 Eocaecilia 95 91 Protorothyris CM 8617 77 95 Doleserpeton 98 Gerobatrachus Protorothyris MCZ 2149 Rana 86 52 Microbrachis 92 Elliotsmithia Pantylus 93 Apsisaurus 83 92 Anthracodromeus 84 85 Aerosaurus 95 85 Utaherpeton 82 Varanodon 95 Tuditanus 91 98 61 90 Eoserpeton Varanops Diplocaulus Varanosaurus FMNH PR 1760 88 100 Sauropleura Varanosaurus BSPHM 1901 XV20 78 Ptyonius 98 89 Archaeothyris Scincosaurus 77 84 Ophiacodon 95 Micraroter 79 98 Batropetes Rhynchonkos Cutleria 59 Nikkasaurus 95 54 Biarmosuchus Silvanerpeton 72 Titanophoneus Gephyrostegeus bohemicus 96 Procynosuchus 68 100 Megazostrodon Mammal 88 Homo sapiens 100 66 Stenocybus hair 91 94 IVPP V18117 69 Galechirus 69 97 62 Suminia Niaftasuchus 65 Microurania 98 Urumqia 91 Bruktererpeton 65 IVPP V 18120 85 Venjukovia 98 100 Thuringothyris MNG 7729 Thuringothyris MNG 10183 100 Eodicynodon Dicynodon 91 Cephalerpeton 54 Reiszorhinus Haptodus 62 Concordia KUVP 8702a 95 59 Ianthasaurus 87 87 Concordia KUVP 96/95 85 Edaphosaurus Romeria primus 87 Glaucosaurus Romeria texana Secodontosaurus
    [Show full text]
  • Constraints on the Timescale of Animal Evolutionary History
    Palaeontologia Electronica palaeo-electronica.org Constraints on the timescale of animal evolutionary history Michael J. Benton, Philip C.J. Donoghue, Robert J. Asher, Matt Friedman, Thomas J. Near, and Jakob Vinther ABSTRACT Dating the tree of life is a core endeavor in evolutionary biology. Rates of evolution are fundamental to nearly every evolutionary model and process. Rates need dates. There is much debate on the most appropriate and reasonable ways in which to date the tree of life, and recent work has highlighted some confusions and complexities that can be avoided. Whether phylogenetic trees are dated after they have been estab- lished, or as part of the process of tree finding, practitioners need to know which cali- brations to use. We emphasize the importance of identifying crown (not stem) fossils, levels of confidence in their attribution to the crown, current chronostratigraphic preci- sion, the primacy of the host geological formation and asymmetric confidence intervals. Here we present calibrations for 88 key nodes across the phylogeny of animals, rang- ing from the root of Metazoa to the last common ancestor of Homo sapiens. Close attention to detail is constantly required: for example, the classic bird-mammal date (base of crown Amniota) has often been given as 310-315 Ma; the 2014 international time scale indicates a minimum age of 318 Ma. Michael J. Benton. School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, U.K. [email protected] Philip C.J. Donoghue. School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, U.K. [email protected] Robert J.
    [Show full text]
  • Poropat Et Al 2017 Reappraisal Of
    Alcheringa For Peer Review Only Reappraisal of Austro saurus mckillopi Longman, 1933 from the Allaru Mudstone of Queensland, Australia’s first named Cretaceous sauropod dinosaur Journal: Alcheringa Manuscript ID TALC-2017-0017.R1 Manuscript Type: Standard Research Article Date Submitted by the Author: n/a Complete List of Authors: Poropat, Stephen; Swinburne University of Technology, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology; Australian Age of Dinosaurs Natural History Museum Nair, Jay; University of Queensland, Biological Sciences Syme, Caitlin; University of Queensland, Biological Sciences Mannion, Philip D.; Imperial College London, Earth Science and Engineering Upchurch, Paul; University College London, Earth Sciences, Hocknull, Scott; Queensland Museum, Geosciences Cook, Alex; Queensland Museum, Palaeontology & Geology Tischler, Travis; Australian Age of Dinosaurs Natural History Museum Holland, Timothy; Kronosaurus Korner <i>Austrosaurus</i>, Dinosauria, Sauropoda, Titanosauriformes, Keywords: Australia, Cretaceous, Gondwana URL: http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/talc E-mail: [email protected] Page 1 of 126 Alcheringa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 8 9 1 Reappraisal of Austrosaurus mckillopi Longman, 1933 from the 10 11 12 2 Allaru Mudstone of Queensland, Australia’s first named 13 14 For Peer Review Only 15 3 Cretaceous sauropod dinosaur 16 17 18 4 19 20 5 STEPHEN F. POROPAT, JAY P. NAIR, CAITLIN E. SYME, PHILIP D. MANNION, 21 22 6 PAUL UPCHURCH, SCOTT A. HOCKNULL, ALEX G. COOK, TRAVIS R. TISCHLER 23 24 7 and TIMOTHY HOLLAND 25 26 27 8 28 29 9 POROPAT , S. F., NAIR , J. P., SYME , C. E., MANNION , P. D., UPCHURCH , P., HOCKNULL , S. A., 30 31 10 COOK , A. G., TISCHLER , T.R.
    [Show full text]
  • Morphology, Phylogeny, and Evolution of Diadectidae (Cotylosauria: Diadectomorpha)
    Morphology, Phylogeny, and Evolution of Diadectidae (Cotylosauria: Diadectomorpha) by Richard Kissel A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of doctor of philosophy Graduate Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto © Copyright by Richard Kissel 2010 Morphology, Phylogeny, and Evolution of Diadectidae (Cotylosauria: Diadectomorpha) Richard Kissel Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto 2010 Abstract Based on dental, cranial, and postcranial anatomy, members of the Permo-Carboniferous clade Diadectidae are generally regarded as the earliest tetrapods capable of processing high-fiber plant material; presented here is a review of diadectid morphology, phylogeny, taxonomy, and paleozoogeography. Phylogenetic analyses support the monophyly of Diadectidae within Diadectomorpha, the sister-group to Amniota, with Limnoscelis as the sister-taxon to Tseajaia + Diadectidae. Analysis of diadectid interrelationships of all known taxa for which adequate specimens and information are known—the first of its kind conducted—positions Ambedus pusillus as the sister-taxon to all other forms, with Diadectes sanmiguelensis, Orobates pabsti, Desmatodon hesperis, Diadectes absitus, and (Diadectes sideropelicus + Diadectes tenuitectes + Diasparactus zenos) representing progressively more derived taxa in a series of nested clades. In light of these results, it is recommended herein that the species Diadectes sanmiguelensis be referred to the new genus
    [Show full text]
  • SVP's Letter to Editors of Journals and Publishers on Burmese Amber And
    Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 7918 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 300 McLean, VA 22102 USA Phone: (301) 634-7024 Email: [email protected] Web: www.vertpaleo.org FEIN: 06-0906643 April 21, 2020 Subject: Fossils from conflict zones and reproducibility of fossil-based scientific data Dear Editors, We are writing you today to promote the awareness of a couple of troubling matters in our scientific discipline, paleontology, because we value your professional academic publication as an important ‘gatekeeper’ to set high ethical standards in our scientific field. We represent the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP: http://vertpaleo.org/), a non-profit international scientific organization with over 2,000 researchers, educators, students, and enthusiasts, to advance the science of vertebrate palaeontology and to support and encourage the discovery, preservation, and protection of vertebrate fossils, fossil sites, and their geological and paleontological contexts. The first troubling matter concerns situations surrounding fossils in and from conflict zones. One particularly alarming example is with the so-called ‘Burmese amber’ that contains exquisitely well-preserved fossils trapped in 100-million-year-old (Cretaceous) tree sap from Myanmar. They include insects and plants, as well as various vertebrates such as lizards, snakes, birds, and dinosaurs, which have provided a wealth of biological information about the ‘dinosaur-era’ terrestrial ecosystem. Yet, the scientific value of these specimens comes at a cost (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/science/amber-myanmar-paleontologists.html). Where Burmese amber is mined in hazardous conditions, smuggled out of the country, and sold as gemstones, the most disheartening issue is that the recent surge of exciting scientific discoveries, particularly involving vertebrate fossils, has in part fueled the commercial trading of amber.
    [Show full text]
  • 71St Annual Meeting Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Paris Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada, USA November 2 – 5, 2011 SESSION CONCURRENT SESSION CONCURRENT
    ISSN 1937-2809 online Journal of Supplement to the November 2011 Vertebrate Paleontology Vertebrate Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Society of Vertebrate 71st Annual Meeting Paleontology Society of Vertebrate Las Vegas Paris Nevada, USA Las Vegas, November 2 – 5, 2011 Program and Abstracts Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 71st Annual Meeting Program and Abstracts COMMITTEE MEETING ROOM POSTER SESSION/ CONCURRENT CONCURRENT SESSION EXHIBITS SESSION COMMITTEE MEETING ROOMS AUCTION EVENT REGISTRATION, CONCURRENT MERCHANDISE SESSION LOUNGE, EDUCATION & OUTREACH SPEAKER READY COMMITTEE MEETING POSTER SESSION ROOM ROOM SOCIETY OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS SEVENTY-FIRST ANNUAL MEETING PARIS LAS VEGAS HOTEL LAS VEGAS, NV, USA NOVEMBER 2–5, 2011 HOST COMMITTEE Stephen Rowland, Co-Chair; Aubrey Bonde, Co-Chair; Joshua Bonde; David Elliott; Lee Hall; Jerry Harris; Andrew Milner; Eric Roberts EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Philip Currie, President; Blaire Van Valkenburgh, Past President; Catherine Forster, Vice President; Christopher Bell, Secretary; Ted Vlamis, Treasurer; Julia Clarke, Member at Large; Kristina Curry Rogers, Member at Large; Lars Werdelin, Member at Large SYMPOSIUM CONVENORS Roger B.J. Benson, Richard J. Butler, Nadia B. Fröbisch, Hans C.E. Larsson, Mark A. Loewen, Philip D. Mannion, Jim I. Mead, Eric M. Roberts, Scott D. Sampson, Eric D. Scott, Kathleen Springer PROGRAM COMMITTEE Jonathan Bloch, Co-Chair; Anjali Goswami, Co-Chair; Jason Anderson; Paul Barrett; Brian Beatty; Kerin Claeson; Kristina Curry Rogers; Ted Daeschler; David Evans; David Fox; Nadia B. Fröbisch; Christian Kammerer; Johannes Müller; Emily Rayfield; William Sanders; Bruce Shockey; Mary Silcox; Michelle Stocker; Rebecca Terry November 2011—PROGRAM AND ABSTRACTS 1 Members and Friends of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, The Host Committee cordially welcomes you to the 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Las Vegas.
    [Show full text]
  • Isabel Clifton Cookson
    1 The first Australian palynologist: Isabel Clifton Cookson 2 (1893–1973) and her scientific work 3 JAMES B. RIDING AND MARY E. DETTMANN 4 5 RIDING, J.B. & DETTMANN, M.E., The first Australian palynologist: Isabel Clifton 6 Cookson (1893–1973) and her scientific work. Alcheringa. 7 8 Isabel Clifton Cookson (1893–1973) of Melbourne, Australia, was one of that country’s 9 first professional woman scientists. She is remembered as one of the most eminent 10 palaeontologists of the twentieth century and had a distinguished research career of 58 11 years, authoring or co-authoring 93 scientific publications. Isabel worked with great 12 distinction on modern and fossil plants, and pioneered palynology in Australia. She was a 13 consumate taxonomist and described, or jointly described, a prodigious total of 110 14 genera, 557 species and 32 subspecific taxa of palynomorphs and plants. Cookson was a 15 trained biologist, and initially worked as a botanist during the 1920s. At the same time she 16 became interested in fossil plants and then, Mesozoic–Cenozoic terrestrial (1940s–1950s) 17 and aquatic (1950s–1970s) palynomorphs. Cookson’s research into the late Silurian–Early 18 Devonian plants of Australia and Europe, particularly the Baragwanathia flora, between 19 the 1920s and the 1940s was highly influential in the field of early plant evolution. The 20 fossil plant genus Cooksonia was named for Isabel in 1937 by her principal mentor in 21 palaeobotany, Professor William H. Lang. From the 1940s Cookson focussed on Cenozoic 1 22 floras and, with her students, elucidated floral affinities by comparative analyses of 23 micromorphology, anatomy and in situ pollen/spores between fossil and extant taxa.
    [Show full text]
  • Early Tetrapod Relationships Revisited
    Biol. Rev. (2003), 78, pp. 251–345. f Cambridge Philosophical Society 251 DOI: 10.1017/S1464793102006103 Printed in the United Kingdom Early tetrapod relationships revisited MARCELLO RUTA1*, MICHAEL I. COATES1 and DONALD L. J. QUICKE2 1 The Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, 1027 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637-1508, USA ([email protected]; [email protected]) 2 Department of Biology, Imperial College at Silwood Park, Ascot, Berkshire SL57PY, UK and Department of Entomology, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW75BD, UK ([email protected]) (Received 29 November 2001; revised 28 August 2002; accepted 2 September 2002) ABSTRACT In an attempt to investigate differences between the most widely discussed hypotheses of early tetrapod relation- ships, we assembled a new data matrix including 90 taxa coded for 319 cranial and postcranial characters. We have incorporated, where possible, original observations of numerous taxa spread throughout the major tetrapod clades. A stem-based (total-group) definition of Tetrapoda is preferred over apomorphy- and node-based (crown-group) definitions. This definition is operational, since it is based on a formal character analysis. A PAUP* search using a recently implemented version of the parsimony ratchet method yields 64 shortest trees. Differ- ences between these trees concern: (1) the internal relationships of aı¨stopods, the three selected species of which form a trichotomy; (2) the internal relationships of embolomeres, with Archeria
    [Show full text]
  • Gondwana Vertebrate Faunas of India: Their Diversity and Intercontinental Relationships
    438 Article 438 by Saswati Bandyopadhyay1* and Sanghamitra Ray2 Gondwana Vertebrate Faunas of India: Their Diversity and Intercontinental Relationships 1Geological Studies Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 203 B. T. Road, Kolkata 700108, India; email: [email protected] 2Department of Geology and Geophysics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302, India; email: [email protected] *Corresponding author (Received : 23/12/2018; Revised accepted : 11/09/2019) https://doi.org/10.18814/epiiugs/2020/020028 The twelve Gondwanan stratigraphic horizons of many extant lineages, producing highly diverse terrestrial vertebrates India have yielded varied vertebrate fossils. The oldest in the vacant niches created throughout the world due to the end- Permian extinction event. Diapsids diversified rapidly by the Middle fossil record is the Endothiodon-dominated multitaxic Triassic in to many communities of continental tetrapods, whereas Kundaram fauna, which correlates the Kundaram the non-mammalian synapsids became a minor components for the Formation with several other coeval Late Permian remainder of the Mesozoic Era. The Gondwana basins of peninsular horizons of South Africa, Zambia, Tanzania, India (Fig. 1A) aptly exemplify the diverse vertebrate faunas found Mozambique, Malawi, Madagascar and Brazil. The from the Late Palaeozoic and Mesozoic. During the last few decades much emphasis was given on explorations and excavations of Permian-Triassic transition in India is marked by vertebrate fossils in these basins which have yielded many new fossil distinct taxonomic shift and faunal characteristics and vertebrates, significant both in numbers and diversity of genera, and represented by small-sized holdover fauna of the providing information on their taphonomy, taxonomy, phylogeny, Early Triassic Panchet and Kamthi fauna.
    [Show full text]
  • C.-Shoulder Joint
    59.14.98,1:81 Article X.-THE LOCOMOTOR APPARATUS OF CERTAIN PRIMITIVE AND MAMMAL-LIKE REPTILES' BY ALFRED S. ROMER PLATES XXVII TO XLVI TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE INTRODIUCTION ......................................................... 519 FORE LIMB, MIUSCULATURE ............................................. 524 1.-Trapezius (and sterno-cleido-mastoideus) ........................ 524 2.-Axial muscles acting on the girdle ............................... 525 a.-Dorsal: levator scapul& (and atlanto-scapularis, atlanto- acromialis or omo-trachelius and rhomboideuA), serratus anterior .............................................. 525 b.-Ventral: sterno- (episterno) hyoideus and omo-hyoideus, sterno-costo-coracoidei (subclavius) ................... 526 3.-Latissimus dorsi and teres major ................................ 527 4.-Pectoralis ..................................................... 528 5.-Deltoid ....................................................... 529 6.-Subcoraco-scapularis and scap'ilo-humeralis posterior (subscapularis) 530 7.-Scapulo-humeralis anterior (teres minor), supracoracoideus (supra- and infraspinatus), and coraco-brachialis ..................... 532 8.-Biceps and brachialis .......................................... 536 9.-Triceps ............................... A 537 10.-Brachio- (humero-) radialis (supinator longus) and supinator ...... 538 11.-Forearm: extensors............................................. 539 12.-Forearm: flexors (includingpronators) ............................ 540 13.-Groupingof forelimb muscles
    [Show full text]